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In the sixth year of the eighth thousand,

Under that tsar, under Theodore…

That was the beginning of "The Poem about Brave George" in Russia. (1) ( See references marked with a number in the section "Notes and Comments to the Appendix". (Editor's note ) ). And they used to sing long songs in his honor - George the Beloved. And there were holidays in his honor - people hoped for best on George's Day.

But in the Great Steppe George was worshipped in another way. The Kipchaks called him their highest guardian; they addressed entreaties and wishes, prayers and exorcisms to him. He was the mediator between God and man! "Help us, Saint George", - they used to say; and he helped, he guarded them. He was the second after Tengri in the Great Steppe.

Tuesday was a hard day for the Kipchaks: one couldn't start on his journey or begin an important deed. They advised even not no eat and smile. No smiles, it's a hard day, "Saint George's day", - the steppe inhabitants used to say. According to folk beliefs our glorious guardian died on Tuesday.

Why has Saint George been especially respected in the Great Steppe since olden days? There is an old story about it… The Turkic proverb "Our Gorge is stronger than their Nicola" isn't casual; it was usually mentioned speaking about their northern fellow countrymen… The image of Saint George only seems to be known.

Let us remember the famous "St. George and the Dragon". A legend is a cryptography; thus the nations retained the most important from their lives and passed it to other generations from lips to lips. A myth - our ancestors said - conceals the truth from foreign ears. A message is enciphered in "St. George and the Dragon" and one should see living people in the legendary symbols; one should understand the symbols of their lives. The cryptography is opened only to those being consecrated… And who can be asked for consecration?

The plot of the legend is known. A big serpent got the habit of marauding in one eastern town. He crawled from the morasses and took young inhabitants away. At last the time has come and the ruler also took leave of his daughter, beautiful Elisabeth. She was sitting near the road in tears waiting for her bitter fate, and George, Christ's warrior who was riding nearby, saw her. He wished to protect the young lady.

When the monster appeared George didn't start a fight, he put his spear and sword away. He moved towards the enemy unarmed. He fell down on his knees behind the serpent and started to pray. The serpent became quiet. Minutes passed and soon the monster who was weak due to the prayer bent before the warrior. And the saved young lady put a lead made of her belt on the serpent and took it to the town. Having seen that miracle, all the inhabitants listened to George's sermon and accepted christening.

Thus George proved that a word is stronger than a sword. So he became a saint, because there was a word - God - which wasn't known in Europe.

The most ancient text of the legend didn't remain. It couldn't have remained since at first the passing thereof to new generations depended on the skills of the tellers - some things were added, others were erased. But the outline of the legend wasn't changed - they were afraid to sin… (2)

Before analysis of the symbols of the legend it is important to recognize the epoch in which George lived. Not much is known about those times; much water has flowed under the bridges: floods washed the countries away, they drowned the nations in the abyss of obscurity. The warrior died on Tuesday, May 6th, 303, the official Church asserts. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single calendar those days; time was counted in different ways in different countries. There are several versions concerning the dates of birth and death of Saint George. But they are just the versions.

That's why it would be correct, in my opinion, to say as follows: "A young man died in the beginning of IV century; that man is known as George now". He died as an immature young fellow who was about twenty years old. The saint lived in a glorious time: he was in the center of grand events by God's will; those events made his name the part of history.

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